Hanger for skindiver&#39;s equipment



June 30, 1970 p U 3,517,823

HANGER FOR SKINDIVER,$ EQUIPMENT Filed April 29, 1968 FIG. 4

INVEN1DR. DONALD G. PAPINEAU ATTORNEY United States Patent F 3,517,823 HANGER FOR SKINDIVERS EQUIPMENT Donald G. Papineau, 26 Willow Road, Greeuville, R.I. 02828 Filed Apr. 29, 1968, Ser. No. 724,796 Int. Cl. A471? 7/00 US. Cl. 211-13 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A hanger for skindivers equipment having portions formed thereon that are provided for supporting special accessory articles such as snorkel, face mask and flippers when these articles are not in use.

The present invention relates to improvements in hangers and more particularly to an improved hanger for skindivers equipment.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improvement hanger for skindivers equipment wherein snorkel, face mask, and flippers can all be carried thereby when not in use.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved hanger for skindivers equipment wherein novel means are provided for supporting the various elements of the equipment.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved hanger for skindivers equipment which can be made of plastic and which uniquely and compactly stores a variety of skindiving equipment.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved hanger for storing skindiving equipment which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Various other objects and advantages will become apparent from the detailed description to follow.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of my improved hanger showing skindiving equipment stored thereon;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the hanger;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of line 33 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view thereof.

Referring more particularly to the drawings wherein like numerals apply to like parts throughout, it will be seen that I have provided an improved hanger for skindiving equipment.

Skindivers utilize a variety of equipment which, when not in use, must be stored. Because of the unique shape and form of these components, storage by conventional hangers is not possible.

Accordingly, I have developed a novel hanger which will support for storage a pair of flippers 12, 14, a face mask 16 and a snorkel 18.

The hanger includes a body member 20 which can be substantially planar and which has a medial hook portion 22 joined to the main portion 24 of the body member by the long neck 26. A pair of shoulder portions 28, extend in opposite directions from the main portion 24.

A slot 32 is formed through the middle of the main portion 24 and, as shown in FIG. 1, the strap 34 of the face mask 16 can be passed therethrough to form a loop at 36 for a purpose to be described.

One of the shoulder portions 30 has a snorkel mouthpiece-receiving formation formed thereon as at 38. The formation 38 is a bifurcated projection coplanar with the hanger body member extending upwardly. The mouthpiece 40 has a partitioned opening, conventionally, which nicely engages on the projection 38 as shown in FIG. 1. For support of the snorkel as-well as retention of the face mask, the conduit section 42 is passed through the loop 36, as shown.

At the shoulder portion extremities, the flipper supports 44, 46 are provided. The supports 44, 46 are similar, and each support is a generally U-shaped member including wide leg portions 48, 50. The upper leg 48 is integral with or rigidly connected to the respective shoulder portion. A slit 52 separates the legs.

The member is downwardly and outwardly arcuated so as to give the slit 52 a slightly flattened S-shape which.

neatly conforms with the curvature of the heel 54 of a flipper. Thus, the flippers can be supported at the outer ends of the shoulder portions.

In view of the foregoing, it is believed that I have pro vided an improved skindiving equipment hanger which compactly and neatly holds and supports the selected equipment.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A hanger for skindivers equipment comprising a body member having a medial hook portion for hanging on a supporting bar, shoulder portions joined to said hook portion and extending on opposite sides thereof, each of said shoulder portions having a support element joined thereto and extending outwardly therefrom at substantially right angles thereto, each of said support elements having a slit formed therein, the mouth of which is formed in a shoulder portion, each slit receiving a heel portion of a foot flipper, wherein the flipper is supported in vertically hanging relation from said hanger.

2. In a hanger as set forth in claim 1, said body member having a slot formed therein adjacent to said hook portion, said slot receiving a strap of a face mask therethrough, and a portion of a snorkel tube projecting through said strap for anchoring the face mask and snorkel tube on said hanger.

3. In a hanger as set forth in claim 1, said body member having a projection formed on a shoulder portion thereof that extends upwardly therefrom for receiving a snorkel mouthpiece in supporting relation.

4. A hanger for skindivers equipment comprising a body member of selected material having a medial hook portion for hanging on a supporting bar, a pair of shoulder portions extending from said hook portion at opposite sides thereof, a pair of flipper supports extending from the extremities of said shoulder portions, said flipper supports each having a slit adapted to receive the heel portion of a flipper, said body having a slot therethrough adapted to receive the strap of a face mask therethrough, said flipper supports each comprising a generally U-shaped member, wherein said slit is formed by the legs thereof, one leg of said U-shaped member being anchored to a respective shoulder portion, said hanger body being generally planar and said flipper supports arcuating downwardly and outwardly to provide a flat S-shaped slit.

5. A hanger for skindivers equipment comprising a body member of selected material having a medial hook portion for hanging on a supporting bar, a pair of shoulder portions extending from said hook portion at opposite sides thereof, a pair of flipper supports extending from the extremities of said shoulder portions, said flipper supports each having a slit adapted to receive the heel portion of a flipper, said body having a slot therethrough adapted to receive the strap of a face mask therethrough, and said body member having a snorkel mouthpiece-receiving formation projecting upwardly from one shoulder portion thereof.

6. A hanger according to claim 5 wherein said formation is a bifurcated projection substantially coplanar with said body member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS DAVID H. BROWN, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

